Yes, I know: there is a "Hot Dogs Cause Butt Cancer" billboard greeting drivers on the Eisenhower. The message, which shows a cartoon man holding a hot dog while looking at his rear, comes from the very official sounding Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and is just one of many signs the group has released around the country. More

Logan Square's restaurant scene has blown up over the past two years, so it was strange that it still didn't have a good Chicago stand. Luckily, Mr. G's just opened, and I'm happy to report that along with hand-cut fries, it serves natural casing hot dogs. More

As you can tell, Al's Under the "L" Hot Dogs & Polish isn't literally underneath the L, but the whole building does shake when the train rolls by, and that's good enough for me. Featuring a menu of Chicago classics, including minimalist-style hot dogs and Polish sausages loaded with caramelized onions, Al's feels like the kind of place that's been around for years. More

When you mention Maxwell Street, most Chicagoans have one food in mind—a massive Polish sausage in a bun topped with mustard and caramelized onions. Jim's Original is considered the originator of the dish, and it is still the most famous practitioner in the city, but it is definitely not the only one. More

Though the Natural Casing Hot Dog Map showed where you can get a great hot dog in the city limits, I did have to leave some of my favorite stands off the list, and it didn't exactly seem fair. Now it's time to examine the hot dog offerings in the suburbs. More

There's a Western-style cattle ranch with 1,000 acres of pasture less than 100 miles from the Chicago Loop. We're talking Billy Crystal and Bruno Kirby in City Slickers stuff here. The land itself is the ecosystem and living quarters for Quarter Circle Seven Ranch's nearly 600 grass-fed steers. More

Though it feels like an establishment that could have been around since the Eisenhower administration, Devil Dawgs actually opened in 2009. Located just steps away from DePaul's campus in Lincoln Park, it is a nearly flawless Chicago stand. More

This marks my last Windy City post for Standing Room Only. I made it over nine months, and while I constantly worried about what place to feature next, I always knew where I'd end the series. Gene and Jude's—there isn't a better stand around. Though it sits just outside the Chicago city limits in River Grove, it still encapsulates everything I love about the city's hot dog stands. Let me count the ways. More

Superdawg is a fast-food fantasy land unlike anything else in Chicago. It's an honest-to-goodness drive-in with car hops, neon lights, and mascots (their names are Maurie & Flaurie) that seem to greet you from the road. Open since 1948, it has been mentioned often and loudly as one of the best Chicago dogs in the city. But I had my doubts. They break nearly every one of my Chicago hot dog rules. More

Redhot Ranch 2072 N. Western Avenue, Chicago IL 60647 (map); 773-878-9898 The Short Order: Brand new joint serving up hot dogs the old way. Want Fries with That? Come with every order, and you'll eat each one. Want Ketchup?... More